AMPHIPACIFICA VOL II NO. 4. OCT. 10. 2000 3

The Species of Lysmata (Caridea: Hippolytidae) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean

MARY K. WICKSTEN Department of Biology Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-3258

ABSTRACT Three new species, Lysmaia argento punctata. L. chica, and L. nayaritensis, arc described from the eastern Pacific. The species can be distinguished by the rostral teeth, number of free articles of the accessory branch of the flagellum of the antennulef the length of the stylocerite. and the number of articles in the carpus of the second pereopods. The color patterns of L. argcnlopunciaia and L chica are characteristic. Including these new species, eight species of Lysmata are known from the eastern Pacific. A key and brief diagnoses of ail species are provided.

INTRODUCTION

Species of Lysmaia are known as red rock shrimp, lands. Examination of these shrimp revealed four peppermint shrimp or cleaner shrimp. They live among unidentifiable species. One of these, L. gracilirostris. rocks, corals or other hard substrates, and are noctur- has been described in a previous paper (Wicksten nally active. Some are cleaners: they remove debris, 2000). parasites, diseased tissue, etc. from fishes. The descriptions of the new species are given herein, While examining specimens of Lysmata spp. from along with a key for identification. Carapace lengths the vicinity of La Paz, Baja California Sur, , (CL) are given in millimeters. The illustrations are by students, colleagues and I encountered specimens that Michael Hodnett, Texas A&M University. could not be identified with certainty using existing I found misidentifications and confusion in the lit­ keys (Wicksten 1983, 1990). I compared these speci­ erature regarding tropical eastern Pacific species, and mens with material from among the collections of the have re-examined specimens when possible to confirm California Academy of Sciences (CAS), Los Angeles their identity. However, some of the identifications in County Museum of Natural History (LACM), United regional checklists and keys remain in doubt. The States Museum of Natural History (USNM), Scripps reader should use the revised key presented here in­ Institution of Oceanography (SIO), Charles Darwin stead of those given by Wicksten (1983, 1990) and Research Station, Galapagos Islands, (CDRS), double-check the identities of specimens of interest. and 18 specimens of L. intermedia from Isla de Lobos, I am grateful to Cedric d'Udekem d'Acoz of Braine- Gulf of Mexico, Mexico from the Texas A&M Univer­ I' Alleud, Belgium for sharing with me information on sity Systematic Collection of Invertebrates (catalogue morphology of L. intermedia, and reviewing an earlier numbers 2-2141,2144, 2146-2147, 2149-2152,2154- version of the manuscript. Ken-Ichi Hayashi of the 2156,2159 and 3252). With the aid of Carlos Slnchez National Fisheries University, Shimonoseki, Japan also Ortiz, Luis Hernandez and students of the Universidad reviewed an earlier version of the manuscript. Aut6noma de Baja California Sur (UBCS), La Paz, 1 collected and photographed fresh specimens of Lys­ SYSTEMATICA mata spp. at four locations in Baja California Sur: Punta Arenas, Calerita, Los Islotes and Cabo San Lysmata argentopunctata, new species Lucas. With the aid of Rodrigo Bustamante and the (Figs. 1-3) staff of the marine laboratory of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS), I collected specimens in the Lysmata intermedia Kerstitch 1989: 81, fig. 199. Galapagos Islands. Cleveland Hickman, Jr. of Wash­ (misidentification. not Hippolysmata intermedia ington and Lee University, Arlington, Virginia photo­ Kingsley, 1878). graphed specimens in life and loaned previously col­ Lysmata californica Wicksten 1983: 27 (in part); lected specimens of Lysmata from the Galapagos Is­ Wicksten 1990: 596 (in part);Wicksten 1991: 151 (in AMPHIPACIFICA VOL. II NO. 4. OCT. 10, 2000 44

part);Wicksten and Hendrickx 1992